Taste Buds Dancing on a Mouse Tongue

Two thousand-the number of taste buds on the human tongue; tiny little sensors that tell us if we have salty, sweet, sour and umami flavored foods. Just how we distinguish taste is the subject of recent research at the Australian National University.

With an imaging technique called intravital multiphoton microscopy, researchers used an infrared laser to look at individual taste buds on the tongues of mice. They were able to see that each taste bud has multiple cells that detect all the tastes.

The interesting thing about this study is that taste cells develop their preference for sweet from sources other than food, and could be influenced by the bloodstream. By understanding what the researchers call taste logic, it may be possible to look at dietary disorders in a much different way!

More at www.alnmag.com/news/2015/04/live-imaging-shows-researchers-how-taste-works